Mother Agnes-Mariam North America Speaking Tour

Mother Agnes-Mariam of the Cross is Mother Superior at the Monastery and Convent of St. James the Mutilated in Qara, Syria. Gunmen attacked her vehicle in May, 2013. Much of the population in the towns and villages around the monastery have fled and been made refugees.

But the story that Mother Agnes tells is very different from what we hear and read in the North American press. She has spoken in Ireland and Australia, and she organized an international delegation led by Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire to come to Syria to see for themselves. And she is one of the main organizers of Mussalaha (“Reconciliation”), a popular movement in Syria that mediates disputes and organizes ceasefires between opposing forces.

Mother Agnes will be touring the U.S. and Canada from October 24, to December 4, 2013 under the auspices of the Syrian Solidarity Movement, a U.S. tax-exempt nonprofit project, ID no. 20-5516191. If you or your church, house of worship, school, university, union or other organization wishes to invite Mother Agnes to to speak, please contact us at the address below. If requested, Mother Agnes will also be happy to speak about the conditions of Arab and other Christian communities throughout the Middle East.

In order to support the costs of this tour, we are asking each venue to contribute according to its ability, but to advance $200 at time of booking (to cover the transatlantic flights), and to cover local costs, including a one-way ticket from the previous location, which may be shared with other groups and events at your location. You may wish to take a collection at each event to cover costs. If we receive a grant, we may be able to lower the cost, but we also welcome any additional funds you may be able to contribute, at http://www.syriasolidaritymovement.org/donate-2/.

To view short film clips of Mother Agnes on line, go to:

On the rebel uprising: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARhfr7TewJY On the information war: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz0CbEoA4Ck On Syrian secular society: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeK4w2Amvfo

On the Mussalaha Movement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhUv5PH9ohs On the chaos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifoDKybD-

Click HERE for information on how to donate and how to send the $200 booking fee for Mother Agnes-Mariam’s speaking tour.